What a pipefitter does
Pipefitters lay out, fabricate, weld and install the piping systems that carry steam, fuel, chemicals, water and compressed air through power plants, refineries, factories, shipyards and defense facilities. The trade blends blueprint reading, precision measurement and serious craftsmanship – systems you fit are often operating at extreme pressures and temperatures where close enough isn't good enough.
Demand is structural: new manufacturing and energy construction, the rebuilding of the defense industrial base and a wave of retirements mean roughly 44,000 openings for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters every year through 2034. The work is on-site and hands-on – it cannot be offshored or automated.
Union and open-shop apprenticeships pay you while you train, and most pipefitters reach full journey-level wages in four to five years with zero student debt. If you want a trade where precision is rewarded and overtime is real money, fitting pipe is hard to beat.
